Tecomaria capensis 'Buff Gold' (Golden Cape Honeysuckle) - A rambling and vigorous evergreen shrub (evergreen in warm climate areas but loses its leaves in colder areas) that will grow to 20 feet with support or can be pruned into an upright shrub that is 8 feet tall. The shiny leaves are divided into 5 to 7 toothed and pointed leaflets, similar to a rose leaf. The 2 inch long golden-orange tubular flowers bloom in clusters nearly year round but are particularly abundant during the fall and winter. Plant in sun or light shade. Requires little irrigation in coastal gardens but tolerates regular watering as well. Hardy to around 23° F and can tolerate seaside conditions. It is resistant to deer predation but the flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies. A good plant that can be left in its natural form or can be sheared for use as a screen or hedge. The naturally occurring form of this plant with dark red orange flowers is native to a large part of South Africa. The name Tecomaria comes from this plants resemblance to the new world genus Tecoma, whose name comes from the native Mexican Nahuatl language name for plants with trumpet like flowers. The specific epithet means coming from the cape, in this case the Cape region of South Africa. Many references have combined Tecoma and Tecomaria. The Plant List (a collaboration between Kew and Missouri Botanic Gardens) lumps Tecomaria into Tecoma but in an article titled "A Molecular Phylogeny and Classification of Bignoniaceae" in the September 2009 issue The Journal of Botany (96:9 pages 1731–1743) the authors (Richard G. Olmstead, Michelle L. Zjhra, Lúcia G. Lohmann, Susan O. Grose and Andrew J. Eckert) list the genus Tecoma as an entirely new world genus with Tecomaria's closest relative as Podranea in the Tecomeae clade. Until such time as this gets resolved we continue to list this plant as a Tecomaria. The form 'Buff Gold', with its lighter colored flowers was one or our favorite Cape honeysuckles but sadly it did not sell that well and so we discontinued production of it in 2013 but we still grow the dark orange-red flowering species Tecomaria capensis.
This description is based on our research and observations made of this plant as it grows in our nursery, in the nursery garden and in other gardens that we have visited. We will also incorporate comments received from others and always appreciate getting feedback of any kind from those who have some additional information about this plant, in particular if this information is contrary to what we have written or if they have additional cultural tips that would aid others in growing Tecomaria capensis 'Buff Gold'.